Arkansas Leading Scorer Adou Thiero Ruled Out for First-Round Game vs. Kansas

The Razorbacks won't have a key piece Thursday.

Arkansas won't have Aduo Thiero against Kansas on Thursday. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

If Arkansas wants to win an NCAA men's tournament game in year one under coach John Calipari, it'll have to do the deed without its leading scorer.

Razorbacks guard Adou Thiero will miss Arkansas's tournament opener against Kansas Thursday evening, Calipari told reporters Wednesday afternoon via John Fanta of Fox and NBC. Thiero has been nursing a knee injury since Feb. 22.

Thiero, 20, averaged 15.6 per game for the Razorbacks in 2025. Incredibly, it marked the second straight year in which he doubled his scoring average from the previous year; he put up 2.3 points per game as a freshman and 7.2 per game as a sophomore for Kentucky.

Arkansas has won at least one game in each of its last three NCAA tournament appearances.

Breaking: John Calipari says Adou Thiero is OUT for tomorrow’s first round game between Arkansas and Kansas.

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) March 19, 2025

Calipari, for his part, has not won a tournament game since 2023 against Providence.

In addition to his own exploits, Thiero is the son of former Calipari-era Memphis and Duquesne center Almamy Thiero.

---

More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated

feed